Education

The Mohammed bin Rashid School of Government (MBRSG) the first research and teaching organization focusing on governance and public policy in the Arab world held two remote sessions exploring the post-COVID-19 economy, as well as health policies in the course of and after epidemics.

The talks have been part a series of live Instagram sessions highlighting both the challenges and possibilities brought about by the outbreak of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). The livestreaming started on Monday, April 13, 2020, on MBRSGs official Instagram account: @MBRSGAE. It is set to proceed broadcasting every Monday and Wednesday from 7:00 pm to 7:30 pm till April 29, 2020.

The first session, titled The Economy After the Corona Crisis, was introduced by Dr Abdullah Al-Awadhi, lecturer and trainer at MBRSG, on April 20. Dr Al-Awadhi asserted that the Coronavirus outbreak has had many poor financial repercussions affecting most business and commercial enterprise sectors. Nonetheless, the present day scenario is only temporary, he noted, explaining that crises typically go through numerous stages, from latency to birth, then escalation and explosion, and finally, they commence to decline in the maturity ranges till they dissipate.

Al-Awadhi highlighted the sectors most affected through the outbreak, citing aviation, travel and tourism, hotels, hospitality, conferences, export, logistical services, and trade. The present day scenario has created a lack of monetary certainty, he said.

There are, however, wonderful possibilities to gain from in a range of financial sectors once the recuperation segment begins, he added, revealing that there are many promising sectors that are anticipated to acquire considerable boom after the crisis has ended, such as pharmacies, sterilizers, e-commerce, remote work, remote education, and smart applications.

Dr Al-Awadhi additionally went on to note that the world has allotted huge budgets, amounting to USD7.3 trillion, to soften the economic impact of the Coronavirus pandemic. The economy is predicted to select up by the end of 2020, as soon as social distancing measures are eased, while economic and monetary stimulus packages are introduced and with discretionary spending continues. Businesses will commence to recover in the course of the first quarter of 2021, Al-Awadi predicted, estimating that the world economy will develop at an annual rate of 5.3%, while the overall yearly average for 2021 stands at 4.4%.

In order to attain this growth, Al-Awadi presented a set of suggestions and recommendation to the commercial enterprise in order to overcome the contemporary period, along with reducing expenditures, preparing the work crew for productiveness more than ever, increasing and accelerating financial flows, accumulating all or most of the dues, adopting decentralization in decision-making, make investments in technology in order to depend on it in the utility of business, and make investments in advertising in order to remain in the circle of competition.

The second session was titled Health Policies During and After Epidemics and delivered on Wednesday, April 22, 2020, by Dr Immanuel Azaad Moonesar, Assistant Professor in Health Policy at MBRSG. Dr Moonesar explained the various types of health policies that have an effect on everyone, outlining the distinction between the policies involved with fitness service providers and the ones focused on the public consuming these services.

Dr Moonesar highlighted the direct influence the contemporary scenario has on health policies, noting the distinction between an epidemic and a pandemic and the implications this has on policy and decision makers. There are three elements that have an effect on the health landscape and infrastructure throughout the epidemics, he explained; these are preparedness, which is based on present (pre-epidemic) policies and regulations; response, which is how to deal with these epidemics throughout the outbreak; and recovery, which are post-epidemic policies and lessons learned.

The professional speaker went on to give an explanation for every element in detail, pointing out that in the pre-epidemic phase, crisis management committees have to be formed to cope with any feasible escalation and its effect on all sectors. These approaches provide a holistic vision of the health sectors preparedness can be formed, making it simpler to pick out the necessities for dealing with any outbreaks. As for the response phase, there are measures that assist comprise outbreaks and health policies have a remarkable effect on these measures. Policymakers have to stay informed of all developments, define and enforce plans and precautionary measures, and stop the spread of panic in the community to make sure protection and security, make sure people have enough amount of food, and promote good morale and mental health.

Finally, Dr Moonesar mentioned post-epidemic policies that assist to make sure the agility and resilience of a range of sectors, emphasising the significance of documenting and reading these experiences to overcome such outbreaks more effortlessly in the future. He lauded the effectiveness of the UAEs response, which allowed the country to rank among the top ten nations in the world in terms of effectiveness in the battle towards COVID-19, pointing to the UAEs policies as the base for such an achievement.

The live Instagram series is set to proceed with two more lectures, the first titled Post-Corona Governments and featured by Prof. Raed Awamleh, Dean of MBRSG, on April 27, and another focusing on Organisational Structures and Their Role in Institutional Adjustment, led by Dr Yousif El-Ghalayini, Assistant Professor in Public Administration at MBRSG, on April 29, 2020.

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